Zeolite-regenerating process



Feb. 10, 1931. w, GREEN 1,792,220

ZEOLI TE REGENERATING PROCESS Filed Dec. 13, 1926 Patented Feb; 10, 1931 ueazzo WALTERJ QGREEN; or CHICAGO/ILLINOIS, AssmivoR, BrMnsNE'nssIGui/mivrs,Fro f THE rnniuurrr ooMrAriY,'oF NEW Yon-K, N. Y., A conroaarioit 'orj DELAYIARE 'znorrrn-nnennnnermernocnss (si ma application filed zrulyis, 1924, Serial to. 726,930. jIE'atent'No. i,752,339,1dated A rni; ieso.

Divided and this application filed December 13, 1926.; Serial bio/154,366) I l i Thisinvention relates to" the .art ofsoftening Water byfthe basefexchange or; zeolite method and has particular reference toproi 3 cedure for efiecting economies in operation I and .maintenance through better-utilization of the zeolites and of thelregenerating solution, this application relating to subject matter .dividedvout of my application Serial No. 726,930, filed July 19, 1924, now Patent #1552339 dated April 1,1930. Heretofore in the softening of water by the base exchange method it has been customary ing. In theoperation of a typical Softener of e p terfering withthedelivery ofsoftened-vvater and in such1manner-that in the formation- [passedalternately through the bed'of zeoto provideza' casing,,either open or closed, supplied With a bed of zeolites disposed on a suitable support, .the dimensions of thebed being-determined by the hardness of. the

vWater tobe softened, the quantit y' 'of soft Waterrequired. during a stated period, the

density and capacity ofthefzeolites used, and the rate of floyvlpermissiblethrough the casthe prior art,- hard .vvater and ;a sodium chlos ride'solution for regenerating the,zeolites are ward through the zeolites, in other cases up Ward, and in still otherinstances thehard Water is passed downwardly and the regencrating solution upwardly. In'theexchange of bases which is brought about tdsoften Water, the calcium and magnesium in solution in the water constitute the hardenmgr Y elements to be eliminated, and are Withdrawn in passing through a bed of sodium zeolites,

the sodium being given up by the zeolites for the calcium and'magnesium in the Water. v In the step of regeneration, sodium is restored to the zeolites 1n exchange for the-calcium and magnesiumttaken from the hardwaterby passing a solution of sodium chloride through thezeolites. The exchange resultsfrom mere contact and is very rapid, the chief problem heretofore having been to eiiect contact throughout thebed. I V

In regeneration, the general practice has been to pass throughjthe bed a sodium chloridesolution of uniform 'at-a cula'ted rate of new, "in; some cases thebed -being' treated for several hours. Satisfac-h tory and economical regeneration has not been achievedpdue togthe length of time required, the waste-0f unused salt and thefail ure to. re

ing from; the idea oii intermittently regener:

modifying the practice of bringing fresh re T generating solution. into contact with. zeolites in va ryingjstages.otzexhaustion. I J g q Thepri' c'pal object'of {the inventionisito V generate evenly ,and uniformly throughout the'bed. 1 .1 a

I'have found that economies in time and I space, theco'st' of installation,'maintenance and operation, .and particularlyl in the con-l su'mption' of; salt, may 'be efiected: by departprovide a process for;-softening vvaterin which the regeneration of the zeolites is done automatically, Without interrupting:- or in-l I and introduction offibrine forlregenerating purposes, the, potentially stronger portion of the solutionis presented to zeolites, only slightly.contaminatedjwhile the relatively eakerportions are brought into contact with the more thoroughly exhausted zeolites.

principle.

. That'the invention Lm ay be better under-V stood a formofapp'aratus for carrying-on the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Other formsiot apparatusgem-,

bodying useful-principles of. construction and operation may occur to those skilled in'the art as being equallysuitable for carrying on the purposes of the invnetion. The disclosure hereinis to be understood; as being for the purpose of exemphficatlon and not in any sense a suggestion that other forms of ap paratus are not possible or contemplated within the spirit and'scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

" In the drawings i Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken diametri cally through one form of apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same;

led

' tially tilted.

Fig.3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through two of the receptacles used in the regeneration of the zeolites;

Fig; 4.- is a side elevation of two of the receptacles when at that point on thetrack where each of thereceptacles in turn is tilted;

and I i V h 1 Fig. 5 is a side elevation of two otthe receptacleswhen at thatpointonthe track where each of the receptacles in turn is par- The water-softening portion of the appae ratus includes a casinglO'having a conical bottom 11 which terminates centrally 1n ainor mally closed clean-out conduit 12. Theca-sing is provided interiorly with'anopenended stack 13 which" extends downwardly t'oa point adjacent the bottom otthe casing The hard waterand the active zeolites are in:

troduced into the top of the stack means which will be hereinafte'r described, andlthej water is as a result softened" effectively by contact with the diifused zeolites during the a downward movementof the mixture, in the V stack. When the water and the zeolites emerge from the'bottom o-fth'e stack into the bottom ot thecasing,the then; softened water movesnpwardly in the casingto: a point ad- I 'jacentthe top of the same where it" leaves through a softened waterconduitlt, and the exhausted zeolites, together! with any foreign solids introduced into the' stack with the hard water, collect in the bottom o'fjthe casing.-

7 The zeolite-regenerating portion ofthe ap{ paratus includes a" conduit I51 which' extends upwardly through the seacurmm a-pointib lowt-he surface of the exhausted zeolites in therein.

the bottom, where theconduit opens,to apoint above the casingp where the :conduitdis charges its contents lnto a small separating V tank 16; The exhausted'zeolites in the-bottom oft-he" casing arefcausedto move up wardly in the conduit by means of 'a-con stricted flow of water which is directed into the lower'endiof the conduit 151froman in flow of water through the same.

The tank 16, which receives the exhausted zeolites and the water used to elevate the same, is providedwith a conduit 20 through fwhich the toreign solids mixed with the zeolitesinthe casing are carried off to a sewer.

= A'conduit 21 is provided above the waste conduit 20 through which the bulk of the water entering. the tank is returnedto the casingby 7 way or" an inclined trough 22 leading into the stack 13, and with a bottom orifice 23 through which the exhausted zeolites, which settle to the bottom, are discharged .into a moving zeolite conveyor 24. v V The conveyor 24 consistsof a plurality of wheeled receptacles 25 (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5) which are seriallyvlinkedtogether, and travel about a circular track 26 "on the top of the casing'IO, Each receptacle has a lip 27 at V vone end; whichlaps over the adjacentendjof i the adjoining receptacle, and has atransverse 'baflle 28 between its ends wh'ichis spaced from its bottom,.whereby, when a liquid is poured into the uppermost of several receptacles WhlCh are supported on an inclined portion of the track, and same will flow through each of such receptacles in a tortuous jcourse, extending alternately over the 'lipsand below t-hebaflfles. Any suitable means-may be'used for vmoving the 1 receptacles about the track, jandsuch movementgmay be either continuous or intermittent, dependingupon the manner in which the associated portions oftheapparatus aredesignated to operatei Each 'recep-f Q tacle, 1n ts movement about thel'tr'ack, passes first below' the-orifice 23 of the tank '16; then over a catch basin .29 which empties into the sewer, then upa gradual incl nation to a,

point below nozzle 30 whi ch' is connected with fa regenerating solution tank 3l, then further. up' the inclination to a point below a nozzle32- which is connected with a wash water conduit 33, then down an inclination to a pointbel owa nozzl'e' 34 which is 'con--'- nectedwith the niainhard; water conduit andabovea Wide'trough'36 which'opens into i V the topofthe stack 13;andthenback again tow the starting 7 point. belowl T the "orifice 23;

'- Each receptacle is 'tiltable on itsunder car riage; and is caused wen slightly'by means of a trip B'T'Lwhen it passes over the catch basin 29, as shown in Fig: 5, land to tilt fully means ofa trip38 as it passes below the nozzle 34, as shown iniFig. 4.

"The receptacles 25 receive the exhausted zeolites as' they pass below the orifice 23 of r the tank 16", and -subsequ'ently discharge the regenerated zeolites asthey' pass above the trough 36, the regeneration "of the 'zeohtes taking place during the movement of the receptacles about the track below the nozzles 30" and As'each' receptacle passes below the nozzle 30, it receives therefrom certain amount ofthe regenerating solution, which" solution. then flows back" through the role lowing receptacles to apoint above thecatch basin'29, where the partialtilting of the particular receptacle then above such basin causes the solution to how from the receptacles into the basin; :As'each receptacle subsequently passes below the nozzle-'32, it receives therefrom a' quantity of wash water, which water then flows back through the following receptacles, causin g'the regenerating solution therein to be first diluted 'and then washed completely from the zeolites in the receptacle's, the wash water flowing back through in continuedcontact with each other out a substantial 'distanc'e, whereby to effect counter-current regeneration of theizeolites.

5. The process of regenerating "zeolites, which comprises moving substantially continuous streams of the zeolites andthe regenerating solution in opposite directionsincontinned contact With each other throughout" a substantial distance, Wherebyto effectsubstant ally continuous counter-current regeneration of the zeolites.

V6, The process of regeneratingzeolites vhich comprises firstfsubjectingfa ,nioving streamof zeolites tojthe'aetion of a relatlvely weal: regenerating solutlonand then to the action of a stronger regenerating solution, 7 l

57, The process vofyregeneratingl zeolites which comprises feeding the regenerating" solution of the zeolites, Washing the regenerating solution from the zeolites thus regen- V er'ate'd, and then utilizing the mixture of Wash liquid. and regenerating solution to; dilute the fresh regenerating solution being fed I to the zeolites; I l 4 v g r 8.v The process of regenerating zeolites which comprises feeding the freshregenerah ing solution to substantiallyregenerated zeolites, Washing the regenerating solution from sueh zeolites, ntilizing'the mix ure of Wash liquid and regeneratingsolution to d lute the fresh regenerating solution, and then utilizing the dilutedrfresh regeneratlngsolutlon to regenerate the more exhausted zeohte's c 9! The process of Qlaim Sin. which: the diluted fresh regenerating solution is ,con-

tasted: with the; more exhausted zeolites'in such a manner that as'thed luted solution decreases in regenerating strength,f- 1t:, 1s con-- tact-ed with more and more exhaustedzeolite;

10. The process of regenerating zeolites which comprises removing the exhausted zeolites from a Water softening process, treating the exhausted-zeolites: so as to float 03 for-. eign materials therefrom, I regenerating the exhausted zeolites acoimtercurrent treatinent with a regenerating solution and then,"

returning the regenerated zeolites to the wa-' ter softening process. x l I V 11. The process of regenerating zeolites, which comprises removing the. exhausted zeol ites from a Water softening process treating the exhausted zeolites With a diluted. regenerating solution, Washing. the regenerating solution away from the regenerated zeolites,

j which" comprises contactinga regenerating. solution with exhausted Z80l1tGS,:tlIl8 regenerand utilizing the mixture resulting from this last-mentioned step for diluting the regeneratingsolution, .i 7 I 12. A process of regeneratmg zeolites ating solution being of such strength and the time of contact of such duration so as to V largely, out not completely, regenerate the zeolites and then returning the largely regenerated zeolites to a Water softenmg process;

of decreasing strength. 4 j 7 7 113. I process of irevivifyingfexhausted zeolites which comprlse's'placlng the exhausted zeolites in suspensionin a rapidly moving stream of Water, separating the zeolltes from" 3 In testimony whereof,v Ifhaye' hereunto signed myl-name; Q,

. that CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Pateht No. 1,792,220. Granted February 10, 1931, to

WALTER H. GREEN.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numhered patent requiring correction as ioiiows: Page 1, line 90, for the misspelled word "invnetion" read invention; wage 4, line 19, claim 7, for the word "of" read to; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 10th day of March, A. D. 1931.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

